Re: Game of Thrones on HBO

I'm with Critical. To me the books only add an additional layer of knowledge. My enjoyment of the show is in NO WAY impacted by knowing what is coming!! I read the books back-to-back after watching the first season of the show, and now when I watch the show I am amazed at how many details I have already forgotten!

Re: Game of Thrones on HBO

Thanks for your input everyone!

I agree with all of you that's the problem I was really glad I had read the Mockingjay books first. I felt like knowing all the detail enhanced the movie watching experience. Other times I would have rather gone into it not knowing what was going to happen.. I enjoy the suspense of not knowing, but knowing the characters on a deeper level can enhance the experience ....argh.. I think I'll read the first one, and rewatch the first season and then decide. I'll let you know what I decide because I'm sure you'll all be waiting with baited breath!

Re: Game of Thrones on HBO

Originally Posted by prhoshay

Some people are spoiler people, and some are not. I come down on the "not" side.

I don't consider myself a spoiler person AT ALL. When I read the book I'm still getting the information myself - no one told me what was going to happen before I found out myself. With a story like this I have a much better handle on the massive number of characters because I have read the books.

Re: Game of Thrones on HBO

I read the books between last season and this one because Critical made me (okay, she kept having really persuasive posts like the one above so I finally did). LOVED the books. I was a little leery on Sunday as it was my first episode after reading them all and I LOVED that I had read the books. It definitely added a lot to the show for me, but did not diminish it in any way, which had been my hesitation. My biggest challenge now is not getting too fidgety right before something awesome happens to not tip off hubby.

I LOVED the Arya/Hound scenes. When Arya and Needle were reunited, I got verklempt!

Yet another reason I feel this show is so well done is the physical transformation Jaime is going through - not his hand, but his entire manner, hair, facial expressions, etc. Love it.

Re: Game of Thrones on HBO

Originally Posted by Jamie5632

I read the books between last season and this one because Critical made me (okay, she kept having really persuasive posts like the one above so I finally did). LOVED the books. I was a little leery on Sunday as it was my first episode after reading them all and I LOVED that I had read the books. It definitely added a lot to the show for me, but did not diminish it in any way, which had been my hesitation. My biggest challenge now is not getting too fidgety right before something awesome happens to not tip off hubby.

I LOVED the Arya/Hound scenes. When Arya and Needle were reunited, I got verklempt!

Yet another reason I feel this show is so well done is the physical transformation Jaime is going through - not his hand, but his entire manner, hair, facial expressions, etc. Love it.

I guess I'm guilty as charged! I have friends who watch the show who haven't read the books and I always tell them that I will never spoil them unless they ask me to. So many things that happen are out of the blue, so if they're not going to read the books, I want them to be surprised when watching the show. I got book 5 about a week ahead of the official release and finished it in a long weekend.....and then had to wait at least another week or two until ANYONE I knew had finished it. I loved getting it early, but it sucked not being able to talk about it with anyone!

I think that, thus far at least, the producers have done a great job honoring the spirit of the books even when they've changed things here and there. Most of the changes have to do with the budget or with making things more clear for the viewers who haven't read the books. I'm okay with that....mostly. I still wish they'd shaved Jaime's head.

I have to say, I loved the symbolism of one Stark sword being lost as Ice was melted down and then another Stark regaining her sword. They book-ended that episode nicely, I thought.

Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.' - Isaac Asimov

I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"

Re: Game of Thrones on HBO

Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.' - Isaac Asimov

I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"

Re: Game of Thrones on HBO

Weird little GOT moment on the season finale of Ripper Street last night. The episode culminated with a vicious boxing match between Jerome Flynn's Bennet and Jebediah Stine, played by Joseph Mawle. So strange seeing Bronn and Benjen Stark beat each other to a pulp!

Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.' - Isaac Asimov

I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"

Re: Game of Thrones on HBO

I can't believe they killed off Joffrey in episode 2! I was sitting here saying, "Are they actually going to do it in this episode? Holy crap!" I thought sure it would be further on in the season. That was excellent. Kudos to the makeup department especially.

If Jack Gleeson holds to his vow, that may have been the last we'll ever see of him onscreen. I think he's a terrific actor, but I wonder how he could ever get past the role of Joffrey....or rather, would viewers be able to ever see him in another role?

Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.' - Isaac Asimov

I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"